Hollywood Curses

Curse of the Centerfold

You've heard of the Sports Illustrated curse, but do you know about the Playboy centerfold hex? An eerie number of women who have graced the pages of Playboy have met untimely deaths. A few examples include the brutal murder of 1980 Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten, Marilyn Monroe's tragic overdose, and the horrific death of 1955 centerfold girl Jayne Mansfield. Watch out, ladies. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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Bad luck seems to follow anyone who gets involved with the "Terminator" franchise, and actor Nick Stahl is no exception. Stahl, who played the role of young John Connor in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," was reported missing by his wife in the summer of 2012. She believed drugs may have played a role in his disappearance, and the actor checked into rehab after being found safe. He isn't the first "Terminator" player to run into major trouble. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the original "Terminator," was plagued with rumors of infidelity for years. It was finally revealed that he had a secret son with a former housekeeper, ending his decades-long marriage to Maria Shriver.

"Terminator 2" actor Edward Furlong has also had his fair share of bad luck. Furlong has been in and out of rehab since his role in the film, and his wife filed for divorce in 2009. Thomas Dekker, who tackled the role of John Connor in the TV series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was arrested on the suspicion of DUI in 2009.

And don't forget Christian Bale's infamous 2009 meltdown. The tirade took place during the filming of "Terminator Salvation." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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What do Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse have in common? The answer is surprisingly morbid. These legendary musicians all died at the age of 27, joining the infamous "27 Club." They aren't the only ones either. A total of 43 famous and semi-famous musicians, including blues singer Robert Johnson and Rolling Stones founding member Brian Jones, also died at the age of 27. Coincidence or creepy? —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

Martial arts star Bruce Lee was pronounced dead on July 20, 1973 following a mysterious chain of events. The official cause of death was swelling of the brain, but many speculated that there was more to the story. Some believe Lee was murdered by a Chinese organization called the Triads, while others believe a curse brought on by Lee's willingness to expose the true art of karate was the cause of his demise. The myth was perpetuated even further after Lee's son Brandon was accidentally shot and killed in North Carolina at the age of 28 while filming "The Crow." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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"Poltergeist" had its share of untimely deaths as well. Four of the main characters in the "Poltergeist" trilogy passed away unexpectedly, including actress Dominique Dunne, who was strangled to death by her boyfriend at the age of 22. Heather O'Rourke, who played Carol Anne Freeling in the film, died of septic shock at the young age of 12 following a hospital's medical error. Others from the franchise that met tragic ends include actors Will Sampson and Julian Beck. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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John Lennon had an unnatural obsession with the number nine for the majority of his life. The Beatles singer was born on October 9 and pronounced dead 40 years later on December 9 after being shot on 9th Avenue in Manhattan. The Beatles made their Ed Sullivan Show debut on February 9, catapulting the group into superstardom. He met his wife, Yoko Ono, on November 9, and their son Sean was born on October 9. Lennon recorded several songs showcasing his fascination with the number, including "No. 9 Dream," "Revolution No. 9" and "One after 909." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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Don't recognize the movie title "Atuk?" Don't worry, the film was never made. Hollywood legend says that the never-made movie is cursed, as proven by the unexpected deaths of several major actors considering taking part in the film, including John Belushi. Belushi finished reading the script in 1982 and was reportedly excited about playing the main character. He was found dead of a drug overdose weeks later.

Sam Kinison accepted the role in 1988 but production was halted when the actor walked out on the movie and sued the production company. He died in a car crash before the situation was resolved. John Candy was then approached for the role of Atuk in 1994, but died of a heart attack while the script was in his possession.

Speaking of the script…writer Michael O'Donoghue, a friend of Belushi and Kinison, read "Atuk" at the request of his buds. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1994.

The most recent victim on the curse is Chris Farley, who was offered and accepted the role in 1997, the same year of his sudden death. Rumor also has it that Farley showed the script to "SNL" pal Phil Hartman, who was murdered by his wife soon after. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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You've heard of the Sports Illustrated curse, but do you know about the Playboy centerfold hex? An eerie number of women who have graced the pages of Playboy have met untimely deaths. A few examples include the brutal murder of 1980 Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten, Marilyn Monroe's tragic overdose, and the horrific death of 1955 centerfold girl Jayne Mansfield. Watch out, ladies. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photo: Keystone Features, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

A startling total of five actors are commonly cited as being victims of the creepy "Superman curse." George Reeves, Bud Collyer, Lee Quigley, Kirk Alyn and Christopher Reeve all met untimely deaths after portraying the man in the red cape. Only a few, more-recent "Superman" actors — Dean Cain, Brandon Routh, Tom Welling and Henry Cavill — are still living.

Other victims of the curse include Kate Bosworth, who blames her split with longtime love Orlando Bloom on her role in the film. Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve, went missing for several days in 1996. She was found by police in a delusional state and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And Christopher Reeve's widow Dana, a non-smoker, also died unexpectedly at the age of 44 after a battle with lung cancer. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page was apparently fascinated with black magic. After the musician purchased a house with dark magical connections, mysterious things began happening to the band. They were forced to cancel their tour after bassist John Paul Jones broke his finger. Years later, while the band was touring, Robert Plant was informed that his son had died. Band member John Bonham died after a day of drinking at Page's home, which is also believed to be cursed. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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James Dean's car, a Porsche 550 Spyder nicknamed "The Little Bastard," is best known as the vehicle that killed the legendary actor. Dean had the car customized by George Barris during the filming of "Rebel Without a Cause," but several close friends believed something was off about the car. Legend has it that Dean's pal Alec Guinness told Dean to stay away from the vehicle, warning him, "If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week." Lo and behold, Dean was dead within the week.

Barris bought the wrecked car, selling parts off to his friends Troy McHenry and William Eschrid. Weeks later McHenry was killed in a car after he lost control and hit a tree. Countless others reported being injured after coming in contact with "The Little Bastard," prompting Barris to hide the car for good. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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The rumor around Hollywood is that anyone who works with Billy Bob Thornton is liable to meet an untimely demise. Some convincing examples include Thornton's co-stars in "Sling Blade," J. T. Walsh and John Ritter. Walsh died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 54 while staying as a guest at a spiritual detoxification clinic, while Ritter passed at the age of 54 following an undiagnosed aortic dissection. They aren't the only two touched by the Billy Bob curse.

Actor Jim Varney died of lung cancer at the age of 51 just months after filming "Daddy and Them" with Thornton. Heath Ledger, who famously died at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose, co-starred alongside Thornton in "Monster's Ball." Bernie Mac, who died at the age of 54 following a battle with an extremely rare lung disease, was in the cast of "Bad Santa" with Thornton just a few years earlier. And finally, Patrick Swayze, who died at 57 of pancreatic cancer, acted alongside Thornton in 2002's "Waking Up in Reno." We wonder what Angelina thinks of all this. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.